Safeguard
by NerdyJibbsOreo
Summary: An operation goes south and one of them ends up in critical condition in the hospital. Slibbs.


_A/N: I wrote the majority of this a month ago but then got distracted by life. I intended for this to be a oneshot, but it's possible I'll write another chapter._

* * *

The team stormed into the warehouse with their guns drawn, shots ringing out.

They hadn't originally thought this was going to be the situation. They'd been set up by a suspect in interrogation. It was damn lucky they'd figured it out before they'd sent Bishop and McGee in alone to check out the lead. Torres had called them just in time, and Gibbs and Sloane were redirected from their other follow up to go in as backup.

They had all waited until Torres and a whole SWAT and FBI crew arrived, and then they had mapped out a plan and stormed in together while Vance watched from MTAC.

What had started out as a murder of a Petty Officer had now turned into a full time, sensitive operation involving a lot of drugs, a lot of money, and a lot of criminals.

Some of the assailants in the warehouse were holding up their hands and surrendering, while those that had pulled their guns out were being fired upon. Bodies were falling, screams were echoing. It was chaos.

Gibbs and Sloane had teamed up and taken out two themselves, not letting more than a foot of distance separate them.

The shots slowed and things were getting less loud as the mass crew of people cautiously started to clear the area. The tension started to diffuse as shots were no longer being heard and eyes hastily combed their areas.

That was when Gibbs saw a man duck out from his hiding place behind a beam, a high powered rifle in his hands. In that split second the man had spotted them instantly and had his rifle aimed right at Jack, who hadn't even noticed as her eyes scanned a different direction. The man was pulling the trigger.

Gibbs didn't give his actions a second thought as he pushed against Jack forcefully, making her hit the ground as he took her place and pulled his gun out and fired defensively. He felt the impact of the man's shot hit him right as he fired, a burst of pressure smacking him in his chest as he saw the man fall to the ground.

Jack hit the ground, totally taken aback by why Gibbs had just shoved her when the shots that erupted made her ears ring. It was like alarms going off in her head, confusing her, taking her back to the intense shooting situations she had encountered in Afghanistan. In a daze she looked up, seeing a man fall in the distance, feeling like she couldn't think with the noise ringing in her head. She swore she could taste the dust from those desert lands, see her crew falling before her eyes again. She couldn't hear, she couldn't see, her mind was trying to come to grasp with reality. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe.

She threw a hand out to push herself up, feeling pain charge through her shoulder. She registered in a blind panic what her current situation was, realizing that she was with Gibbs.

_Gibbs._

She needed to make sure he was okay.

Gibbs lowered his weapon and looked down to Jack, relieved to see that she appeared to be okay since she was trying to push herself up off the ground. His teeth clenched from the almost numbing pain he felt emit through him and he looked down to his jacket to see the rip from where the bullet hit. He unzipped it and looked at his bulletproof vest, seeing a hole there too, not seeing the bullet. He put his hand there and squeezed gently, feeling pain flash through his nerves as he pulled his hand back, seeing the shiny red of his blood.

Her eyes landed on him right as she saw him pull his hand back, staring in horror when she realized he'd been shot. His eyes met her, her name escaping his lips in a whisper as his body swayed and he crumpled to the ground.

"_Gibbs!"_

No one in the warehouse could miss the piercing scream as it rung out, echoing against the walls.

She was leaning over his body, trying to tear his vest off so she could see where the wound was and what was going on. She used all her strength to try and pull him up a little to maneuver it off, her shoulder searing with intense pain, only managing through the sheer adrenaline and willpower pumping through her veins. Blood was seeping through his polo, the light blue color that had always complimented his handsome eyes being drenched in an angry, dark red.

She tore the shirt out from his pants and up over him to inspect the wound, feeling her breath stop as she saw the messy wound, his blood contrasting immensely with his his extremely pale skin. She pressed her hands against the wound desperately, trying to stem the blood loss.

"Jack," he gasped hoarsely. She could tell he was going into shock.

"You're gonna be fine. You can pull through this. Stay with me, Gibbs," she said anxiously, seeing the fear in his wide blue eyes, wishing she had an extra hand so that she could hold his.

She wasn't sure whose breathing was more erratic, hers or his. His eyes were losing focus, his eyelids fluttering shut as his breathing became even more labored before it drastically slowed.

"Stay with me, Gibbs. Goddamn it! Do _not_ do this to me! _You can't do this to me!_"

Gibbs' team arrived where they had heard the scream originate, faced with the alarming sight of Jack pressing her hands against a bleeding and unconscious Gibbs, screaming at him through her shaking sobs.

"Please, Gibbs, please," she sobbed. "I love you dammit, you can't leave me like this!"

* * *

They had lost him in the ambulance.

Thankfully, they had managed to bring him back by the skin of their teeth.

He had been in surgery for hours having the wound repaired, and they'd very nearly lost him again.

The team pretended they hadn't heard Jack professing her love for their boss as they all sat waiting. It had taken a lot of coaxing from Leon to make her see a doctor to check her out, and now she sat in the waiting room with a sling because she had broken her clavicle from hitting the ground. They let her have her privacy for the first bit as she sat in the chair in the corner. She kept her eyes covered as she tried not to have a complete breakdown.

Ellie, Leon, and Ducky then all took unspoken shifts, sitting beside Jack as they tried to lend her some of their own strength, all the while trying to keep their own fear at bay. No one had the heart to leave and go back to work or go home, not when Gibbs was in critical condition in that surgery room.

They all had similar thoughts, wondering if Gibbs could possibly make it out of this one. He'd already had so many close calls. He was invincible, untouchable—but what if his luck was running out? What if his body couldn't take any more? None of them could comprehend what they'd do without him.

When the doctor came in hours later to inform them how the surgery went, Jack was the first to let out a relieved sigh. She and Ellie had hugged each other while they let the relieved tears flow.

When the time came that Gibbs had been transported from the recovery room to his own private ICU room, not one member of the team objected to Jack being the one who went to sit by his bedside. They all wondered just how long the two had been in a relationship. They all knew there was chemistry, they'd be blind to not notice that. There had never been confirmation that they were an item though, causing them to all just wonder when they'd finally caved in to those obvious feelings without all of them knowing. All they could do was wonder as they watched Jack follow the nurse out.

She stood at the doorway to his room for a good five minutes, amazed by how much paler he looked. His skin almost matched his white hair.

She couldn't get the sight of him crumpling to the ground out of her head. The sight of his blood pooling out of him. The sight of his wide eyes showing a fear and vulnerability that she had never thought capable from him, as he seemed to stare through her soul—right before they had shut in defeat, surrendering to the exertion his body was under.

She held onto the cross on her necklace, thinking about how his last words had been her name. How weak and desperate his voice sounded.

She took a breath and stepped wearily into the room, chewing her lip nervously. It seemed like he was surrounded by tubes and machines. She knew they had to do a blood transfusion earlier. He was being given IV fluids, antibiotics, and pain medication. He was being given oxygen. He had a tube coming from his chest. He was hooked up on monitors.

She'd never seen him so vulnerable—so still.

She walked over to his bed and stared down at him, not letting the tears she could feel threatening to make any kind of an appearance. She didn't want to cry again. She reached down with her free hand and brushed her thumb lightly across his cheek, her fingers resting against his hair.

She thought about how he'd pushed her out of the way, keeping her safe as he not only sacrificed himself but took down the threat too. It should have been her in this bed, not him. She wished she had noticed the shooter...she wished she could have prevented this somehow.

She swallowed, feeling the tears she had tried so hard to keep at bay stinging in her eyes.

She took her hand off his head and lowered herself into the chair beside his bed, taking a hold of his hand with hers. She kissed the back of his hand and stared at him, feeling the tears slip down her cheeks.

* * *

The team had visited the room briefly just to get a look at him. McGee, Vance, and Torres had gone back to work after making sure he was okay, telling Jack to let them know when he was awake and coherent, or if anything bad happened. Ducky went to see if there was anything he could do to assist Palmer or Kasie, knowing they were both swamped with bodies and evidence. Ellie had stuck around for a little longer, sitting beside Jack.

Jack knew Ellie was like a daughter to Gibbs, and she welcomed the company. Gibbs was out like a light, dead to the world. She was used to him being pretty quiet, but the dead silence from him combined with the sounds of machines made her uneasy.

Jack saw Ellie shoot her another curious sideways glance and she felt a little amusement. It was probably the tenth time she'd given her that look while they'd been sitting together.

"Just ask," she finally said.

"What?" Ellie questioned, looking back at Gibbs.

"You're clearly curious. Go ahead and ask whatever is on your mind."

Ellie looked back at her nervously.

"It's none of my business," Ellie responded, giving a shrug.

She rolled her eyes at the young woman and smiled.

"That doesn't stop that big heart of yours from wondering or worrying," she replied.

Ellie blew some air out of her mouth and looked between Gibbs and her.

"Fine," Ellie relented, smiling back. "How long have you two been a thing?"

"Who says we're a thing?" she evaded mischievously, smirking a little.

"Love confessions like that generally don't come out of nowhere. You care for him," Ellie said quietly.

She twitched, the image of him bleeding out while all she could do was scream and try to lessen the bleeding popping in her head. She gave a small shrug.

"I do care for him. A lot."

"You still didn't answer my question," Ellie said with a little chuckle, lessening the serious tone in the room.

Jack smiled at her and gave a small shrug.

"We've been together for a couple months," she answered. "Not long, really. But we've liked each other since I started."

"I noticed."

Ellie's sarcastic statement made Jack raise an eyebrow at her.

"We all did," Ellie said, acting like it should have been obvious. "You guys were always flirting with each other and giving each other these looks. It made the bullpen feel a bit awkward sometimes. And then Gibbs was always marching off to your office for what seemed like no reason—"

"Okay, okay," she interjected, letting out an embarrassed laugh. "I didn't realize it was that obvious to everyone else."

"Apparently not obvious to the both of you," Ellie said, rolling her eyes in amusement. "Took you long enough."

She stared at Gibbs, feeling a surge of disappointment.

"It did," she said, reaching out to hold his still hand. _Too long_, was all she could think. All that time they could have been together, but instead they just kept ignoring their feelings and not doing anything about it. Now she felt like they had lost so much time. What if he had died today? What if he still died just from the complications? She couldn't stomach the idea as soon as it hit her thoughts and she pushed it away immediately.

She felt so guilty. He shouldn't be in this bed. She should. She should have confessed her feelings for him so much sooner than she had. They still had so many things in life they hadn't enjoyed together. They hadn't traveled. They hadn't taken random day offs just to hang out. They hadn't even declared themselves an official exclusive couple—it was more of an unspoken agreement, considering they both kept things at each others houses now. They hadn't even fully gotten to know each other. There was still so much more for them to learn about the other one, good and bad.

* * *

He'd only woken up briefly a few times, completely out of it and muttering nonsense before sleep took him again. Jack had fallen asleep shortly after Ellie had left, her head resting on the edge of his bed, his hand tucked securely in hers.

She woke up in a dazed flash when his fingers squeezed hers, her head shooting up to see those deep blues staring right at her.

"Jack," he said in a hoarse whisper.

"Gibbs," she breathed in relief, shooting up out of her chair to stand closer to his bed, resting her hand on his face as she looked at him in concern. "How are you feeling?"

He let out a pained grunt and closed his eyes.

"How long I been out?" he asked quietly.

"Hours, and you were in surgery for quite a while. Your right lung was hit, and they nearly lost you a couple of times. The doctor said you're 'one tough son of a bitch'."

His mouth quirked up and his eyes fluttered open again as he looked up at her. She saw his eyes widen, fear and concern evident in his face.

"You hurt?"

She realized he was looking at her sling.

"It's nothing, just a big bruise. I'm fine," she soothed, eyeing his heart monitor and seeing his heart rate rise.

"I do that to you?" he asked, his quiet, hoarse voice getting more high pitched.

"Hey, hey," she said, trying to calm him as she grabbed his hand. "You _saved_ me. You didn't hurt me."

He glared at her shoulder until he let out an involuntary cough, his eyes scrunching in pain as he pressed his head back into the pillow. A quiet moan of pain escaped him.

She felt the tears threatening again as she watched him struggle.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

She watched him try to even out his breathing again, knowing it probably hurt just to breathe.

"Nothin' to be sorry 'bout," he grunted.

She tried to swipe away the tears before he could see, but he opened his eyes and caught her.

"Jack—"

"It should be me, not you," she choked out, covering her mouth with her shaky hand. "You shouldn't be lying here in all this pain, struggling to breathe. You shouldn't have had to go through another major surgery and get another scar. You shouldn't have saved me."

"The hell I shouldn't've," he snapped, wincing. "Damn it, you think I'm gonna let you die if there's somethin' I can do 'bout it?"

"You shouldn't have to suffer for me," she argued.

"Don't care if it means keepin' you safe."

"I'm not some weak woman you have to protect—"

"I know that," he cut in. "You don't need protection from anyone. Still not gonna let ya get hurt on my watch." She saw his eyes land on her shoulder again, looking frustrated and guilty.

"Gibbs," she tried to protest.

"I love you. Don't want you gettin' hurt…'specially 'cause of me."

She stayed silent, not allowing herself to protest any further because of his genuine expression. She knew he meant every word. She also knew all the talking was tasking for him. She swiped the new tears away.

"You're so stubborn," she muttered.

He smirked, and she couldn't help but smile.

He tried to adjust himself in the bed a bit, his eyes closing in pain as he let out a strangled grunt, his hands balling into tight fists.

"Are you okay? Do I need to get the doctor?" she asked hurriedly.

" 'm fine," he muttered, sinking against the bed as he tried to even out his breathing, his eyes closed with concentration.

She reached out and put her fingers in his hair, combing through the white strands soothingly. He let out a quiet moan of appreciation, his tense expression and limbs relaxing.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she watched him, knowing she could never repay him for saving her. She still thought she should be the one laying here.

His eyes fluttered open and he reached out, his fingers brushing against her chin. She leaned in closer and he cupped the back of her head, pulling her face to his. His lips enveloped hers slowly, giving her a long and languid kiss.

When the kiss came to an end she smiled against his lips, brushing her nose against his.

"I love you too, and I don't want you 'gettin' hurt 'cause of me' either, so this better be the last time," she said, feeling his mouth twitch into a smile against her before he kissed her again.


End file.
